Posted on 05/31/2009 12:41:52 PM PDT by JoeProBono
FOLKSTON - Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge officials were concerned earlier this spring that near drought conditions could mean a tense wildfire season. Now they're dealing with flooded docks after two weeks of heavy rains saturated the ground and raised water to above-average levels, they said. "It wasn't quite a drought, but water levels were dropping pretty quickly," said Blaine Eckberg, a refuge ranger. "We had to stop doing prescribed burns because of dry conditions." More than 10 1/2 inches of rain has fallen in the swamp since May 15, pushing the water about 16 inches above normal for this time of year.
The water is high enough to partially submerge parts of the dock used for tours and rental boats, Eckberg said. About 1 inch fell during the same period last year. There was no rainfall recorded at the swamp from mid-May to June 2007, during one of the busiest wildfire seasons in more than a half-century. The high water levels are good for refuge wildlife and tourists alike, said Jim Burkhart, a refuge ranger. "The big thing that will influence visitors is as the water rises, the alligators are less visible," he said. Alligators, which are commonly seen basking near the water's edge, are now sunning in areas where visitors often don't or can't go, he said. All canoe trails are open, but canoeists will have to pay close attention to signs because the vegetation that typically lines the trail is under water, Burkhart said. "The place looks like a lake instead of like a trail," he said.
While alligators may be more difficult to see in large numbers, a lot of wading birds, turtles and blooming plants are visible throughout the swamp.
(Excerpt) Read more at jacksonville.com ...
Where are pictures of the Burmese pythons?
Thanks for posting the pix. Okeefenokee is one of my favorite spots. Beautiful and pristine.
So the pythons are becoming a serious problem-why not offer a bounty and get rid of them or are they here to stay forever.
Correct me if I am wrong, except for people the pythons have no predators in the swamps of Florida.
Sounds like Global Cooling has kicked in. Time to open a few cans of Freon to save the planet.
The swamp in question is in mostly in Georgia.
We did need the rain, and we sure got it. The mosquitoes are another subject...
And to think proofreading used to be part of my job...
The Earth has begin the process of renewing itself, just as Our Messiah promised.
The pythons are still in South Florida. If they show up here we’ll know how to handle them.
Well please just keep them from Maine. Poisonous snakes are riding up to Maine in fruit trucks. So we are getting rattlesnakes and cotton mouths. However, they are nothing compared to the snakes in the legislature and Democrat party.
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